Imphal, March 09 2019: The Scheduled Tribe Demand Committee Manipur (STDCM) has strongly condemned the statements made by Professor Ch Priyoranjan Singh of Manipur University during a morning talk show of a media channel yesterday, which had the potential to misinterpret and misguide the demand for inclusion of Meitei in the ST list or enactment of a constitutional safeguard for Meitei community.

A press release issued by the secretary publicity of STDCM today alleged that based on the statements made by the said Professor, it can be deduced that he does not have the latest and upto date information regarding the burning issue and questioned if he was trying to assert his own personal opinion taking advantage of the talk show.

STDCM conveyed that even if many were critical at first and there were not many supporters, the movement being spearheaded by the STDCM has been gradually gaining momentum and now the movement is supported by a majority of the people in the State.

The ever increasing support resulted in more than a lakh of people participating in a rally in the heart of Imphal on September 18, 2016 and during the mass rally, it was resolved to exert pressure upon the State Government to send a recommendation to the Centre for inclusion of the Meitei in the ST list.

Pointing out that STDCM has had meetings at the level of the Chief Minister four times between September 15 last year and February 16 this year, it claimed that the general strike called by STDCM is a result of the State Government's failure to take up any positive steps.

In a nutshell, the State Government is responsible for the general strike and Professor Priyoranjan's statements regarding the movement are all false and baseless, STDCM asserted.

The committee does not want to hurl accusations and allegations against any party, it added. STDCM further appealed to all those communities which are already included in the ST list not to blatantly and stubbornly oppose the demand for inclusion of Meitei in the ST list for gaining constitutional safeguards.

This movement is meant for the survival of the Meitei community, it added. It then appealed to one and all to refrain from supporting any Government related interviews, exams, DPCs etc during the general strike.

STDCM then mentioned that as per the letter sent by the Central Government to the Secretary (SC and ST Development Department, Manipur) on May 29, 2013, the State Government was directed to submit specific recommendations along with the latest socio economic survey and ethnographic report to the Ministry for consideration of the proposal for inclusion of Meitei/Meetei in the ST list.

* This Press Release was sent to e-pao.net by Waikhom Ananda Meetei (Publicity secretary, STDCM )
who can be contacted at cbstdcmanipur(AT)gmail(DOT)com
This Press Release was posted on March 10 2019

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